Jungle Bird

This wild drink of Rum, Campari, pineapple, and lime over ice with garnishes like tiki swizzles and pineapple fronds livens up any gathering. The Jungle Bird cocktail not only gets the party started, but typically looks like one too!

Where Does the Jungle Bird Cocktail Come From?

The Jungle Bird cocktail originates in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the Aviary Bar, a luxury hotel bar at the city’s branch of the Hilton. Jeffrey Ong, the hotel’s beverage manager, mixed the very first one in the 1970s. Curiously, Og, who died in 2019, didn’t drink alcohol himself. He apparently said that he used his nose to smell the aromas, and simply tasted the drinks but did not fully consume them. An impressive feat given how iconic his recipe became! At the original Aviary Bar, you could sip cocktails while looking at actual birds, so they served the drink in a bird-shaped glass. This iteration no longer exists, but the celebratory drink has endured long since its early years in Malaysia. For another take, try the Flyaway from bartender Darelle Canada.

Jungle Bird

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• Author: Emma Riva

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cocktail:

• 1 ½ oz Goslings Black Seal Black Rum
• ¾ oz Campari
• 1 ½ oz fresh pineapple juice
• ½ oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• ½ oz demerara syrup (recipe below)
• Garnish: tiki swizzle, pineapple frond, Luxardo cherries

For the simple syrup:

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup demerara sugar

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Instructions

For the cocktail: 

1. Add all the liquid ingredients into your cocktail shaker over a scoop of ice cubes and shake vigorously until the shaker is chilled.
2. Fill a hurricane-style glass with crushed ice and strain and pour your cocktail over the ice.
3. Add the Tiki swizzle, pineapple frond, and Luxardo cherries as your garnishes.

For the simple syrup: 

1. In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar over a medium heat, whisking until the sugar completely dissolves. Do not bring to a simmer! You just want to heat through until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
2. Allow the syrup to come to room temperature. Then pour into a container. This Simple Syrup will last a minimum of 2 weeks as is in the refrigerator or if you add a ½ tablespoon of vodka or rum it will last longer.

Recipe by Sarah Cascone
Photography by Dave Bryce

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